Dr. Alex Delaware doesn’t see many private patients anymore, but the young woman called Lucy is an exception. So is her dream. Lucy Lowell is referred to Alex by Los Angeles police detective Milo Sturgis. A juror at the agonizing trial of a serial killer, Lucy survived the trauma only to be tormented by a recurring nightmare: a young child in the forest at night, watching a strange and furtive act.

Now Lucy’s dream is starting to disrupt her waking life, and Alex is concerned. The power of the dream, its grip on Lucy’s emotions, suggests to him that it may be more than a nightmare. It may be the repressed childhood memory of something very real. Something like murder.

About the Author

Jonathan Kellerman is one of the world's most popular authors. He has brought his expertise as a clinical psychologist to numerous bestselling tales of suspense (which have been translated into two dozen languages), including sixteen Alex Delaware novels; "The Butcher's Theater," a story of serial killing in Jerusalem; and "Billy Straight," featuring Hollywood homicide detective Petra Connor. His new novel is "The Murder Book." He is also the author of numerous essays, short stories, and scientific articles, two children's books, and three volumes of psychology, including "Savage Spawn: Reflections on Violent Children. "He has won the Goldwyn, Edgar, and Anthony awards, and has been nominated for a Shamus Award. He and his wife, the novelist Faye Kellerman, have four children.

Praise For Self-Defense…

“EXCITING . . . LOADED WITH TENSION AND PACKED WITH TITILLATING INSIGHTS.”—The New York Times Book Review